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Henry T. Curl was born August 6, 1838, in Arkansas. He came to Texas with his parents, Thomas J. and Laurena Garrett Curl, in 1841 and they settled in San Augustine County. In 1860 Curl and Julia Taylor, the daughter of Charles S. Taylor, were married. They lived in Chireno and had one child, Anna Laura. During the Civil War, Curl served with Co. A., 17th Regt. Texas Cavalry. He died April 14, 1864, leaving Julia a young widow. When her daughter, Laura Curl, married John V. Hughes and moved to Dallas, Julia went to live with them and her brother, Lawrence Taylor, took care of her interests involving land matters in Nacogdoches County. (Winfield, Elizabeth Hearn and Glassman, Patricia Hearn, "Curl, Thomas Jefferson", Nacogdoches County Families, Curtis Media Corp., 1985; Ericson, Carolyn Reeves, The People of Nacogdoches County in the Civil War, 1980; Henry T. Curl Papers, East Texas Research Center, Ralph W. Steen Library, Stephen F. Austin State University)

Scope and Content Note

These papers include Civil War letters from Henry Curl to his wife, Julia, and one to her brother, Lawrence S. Taylor. The letter to Lawrence is quite long and gives an extremely detailed and interesting account of Henry's experiences in the war.

I broke my sword in three pieces, cut my scabbard - cursed the fates and march off with the rascals to the bank of the river and in a day there we bid farewell to Dixie and started. I had been on the boat but for days before I was taken violently sick and consequently could not make my escape. We were 17 days on the river - exposed to the rain and snow, without medicine, and nearly everybody sick. When we reached St Louis I was put in a hospital perfectly delirious and my friends had no idea that they would ever see me again. I had been in the hospital a night and day before I was conscious of anything. It was a nice place and I was kindly treated. I found Julia's ambrotype lying in the window by my bed. This cheered me up and caused me to be treated better than anyone else in the hospital for every lady visitor come to see the picture of a southern woman and by this means I became noted and they brought me all kinds of delicacies. I remained in this hospital about a month and was went to Gratiat street prison where I remained six days and took small pox and was sent to the Small Pox Island in the Miss. river. I stayed there 20 days and was sent back to prison in St Louis and then breathed until the 23rd April when I was forwarded on exchange. I had been sick so long that the Small Pox did not hurt me much. I had a pleasant trip through the Northern states, was in Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Lancaster and Philadelphia and a thousand other little towns.
I was sent a very circuitous route and went within six miles of Lake Michigan. While we were marching through Philadelphia the crowd collected until there were thousands of men women and children following us. An old broom came tumbling overhead which I thought was the signal to mob us which evidently would have been done if it had not been for the police. We were sent from this place to Fort Delaware and lived two weeks on light bread and 0 else. We were then sent on the Atlantic to fortress Monroe. On the Atlantic I saw a great many curiosities such as Ships, porpoises, flying fish etc, etc. Finally we got to City Point - naked and half starved. You ought to have heard the yelling when the cars came down to take us off. I never felt prouder in my life than when my feet touched southern soul. I looked around to see if there was not still a bayonet at my back, and was happily disappointed. Right there I made a vow a solemn vow that if there was a shirt, pr of Drawers pants, or a coat in Dixie that didn't have grey backs on them, they were mine, for I was getting exceedingly anxious to discharge all that I had with me - especially those that had volunteered in the beginning. In Petersburg I went out to search the hospitals for my boys and soon found two or three of them. I was there in time to attend Felix Garnetts funeral. Carlisle Parmley had been dead 2 weeks. J. Castles and A. D. Smith were here in camp. I stole them off and carried them with me.

Rights

This item may be protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. It is available for non-commercial research and education. For permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the East Texas Research Center at asketrc@sfasu.edu.

This item may be protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. It is available for non-commercial research and education. For permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the East Texas Research Center at asketrc@sfasu.edu.